Catch device.



F. A. BALLOU, JR.

CATCH DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2I. 1911.

1,287,825 Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

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FREDERICK A AL OU, J11, or PROVIDE BALLOU & 00., mo; orrnovrnnno ranonn ISLAND.

Non, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNQR To :B. a. HQD I AAN R ORA O OF {Caron DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern I Be itknown that I, 4FREDERICK A. BA LOU, Jr., a. citizen of thefUnited States, and resident of the city of Providence, in the coi iity of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Catch Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to a catch device commonly known as a. catch swivel .used more particularly as a ready fastening for the end of chains for personal wear,-and the object of this invention is to provide ajcatch of this character comprising a body memher, a hook member, and a-tongue member for normally closing the hook, and means whereby a relative movement of the body member on the hook serves to move the tongue to open position.

A further objectof the invention is the provision of means whereby when thebody member is releasechtheparts automatically return to normal and so close the mouth of the hook.

The invention further consists in providing a hook with an elongated shank which extends through the'body or housing memher, the free end of the shank being provided with means for engaging the end of the chain, whereby the-strain is transmitted 'direct through the hook and shank from one end thereof to the other. By this construction there is practically no strain on the body portion thus per-'r'nitting this-member to be made of very light material.

With these and other-objectsin view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully de: scribed, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1- is a side elevation of my improved catch device showing the body portion in section and the tongue in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the body portion in section and as having been moved endwise to swing the tongue back to open position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the body portion sectioning the hook and tongue on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4- is an edge view of the tongue member.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented D60. 1'7, 1918 Applicationfiledhpril 21, 1917.

Serial No. 163,741.

7 front view of the tongue membershowing the T-shaped hinge head.

Fig. 6-.is a perspective view of the U- shaped operating spring.

Fig. 7. is a view of the smallend of the body portion showing the elongated opening through which the hook shank slides.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the hook member ofthe catch which is preferably formed with an elongated shank-l1 extending down through the body member 12. the free endof the shank may be bent around into the form of an eyeas at ,13 in Fig. 201' it may be reduced as at 1 1 andbe engaged by the swivel ring 15 as illustrated in Fig. 1 by which the device may be attached to a'chain or. otherv device.

The large end of this body portion is provided with Ya top plate 16 slotted as at 17 through which the hook members pass.

A tongue 18 is'provided with a T-shaped head 19, which eXtends through the opening and engages the under side of the top plate of this body member. This tongue notched on its inner side at 20 to receive one end 21 of the U-shaped spring 22 and this tongue is also preferably beveled outward slightlyas at23 on its outer face opposite the notch 20, and the outer end of the tongue is beveled as at 24, to restv against a. correspondingly beveled portion 25 in, the hookto limit its outward swing. The inner surface of the hook shank'is provided with a notch 26 opposite the notch in the tongue to receive the corresponding end 27. of the spring.

"In the construction of the device it will be noted that the edge 28 of the body portion provides a fulcrum against which the lower portion of the tongue is pressed by means of the end 21 of the spring, which spring end is located normally above this fulcrum point, see Fig. 1, to press the tongue to closed position, and to open the hook it is only necessary to slide this body portion outward on the hook shank to bring this fulcrum point on the outer or opposite side of the spring end, thereby causing the tongue under action of the spring to swing inward and open the entering mouth of the hook.

In moving this body member outward the fulcrum point rides up on the beveled portion 23, which assists in throwing the tongue inward. Then again it will also be noted that the opposite edge 29 of this housing rides upward on the beveled back portion 30 of the hook, which carries the housing to the left thereby further acting on the tongue to press it inward.

Another feature of this'construction is that the effect of these beveled portions both on the back of the hook and also on the back of the tongue, assist in the return of the housing to normal under action of the compressed spring when released by the operator whereby it is only necessary for the operator to hold the chain in his hand and move the body portion outward by action of the thumb and finger of the same hand, which movement as above described swings the tongue to open position and upon releasing the body, the tongue automatically swings back to normal, the head 31 of the swivel serving as a positive stop to limit the downward movement of the body.

It will be seen from this construction that the tongue is free to be operated to both open and closed positions independent of the movement of the body portion.

One of the features in the construction of my improved device is that the same may be made entirely without the use of solder, which has great structural advantages. Among others being that the parts are left hard as originaly formed, which renders them much stronger and gives to them a longer wearing life than is possible where the parts have been subjected to the softening action of soldering heat. Then again by leaving the parts stronger which is accomplished by making the whole without the use of solder, the whole device may be made of lighter stock, which is of considerable advantage particularly when constructed of precious metal.

Another feature of this invention is that the shank portion of the hook is made oblong in cross section and that as this portion fits into a correspondingly-shaped hole in the small end of the body portion, a guide is formed which effectually prevents a relative rotation of the body and hook shank.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

The foregoing description is directed solely toward the construction illustrated, but 1 desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention'being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A catch comprising a body member, a hook member having a shank slidable on and extending through said body, said shank being provided with engaging means at its free end, and an independent hook-closing tongue operated by a relative movement of said body and shank.

A. catch device comprising a body member, a hook having a shank extending through and adapted to slide in said body and provided with engaging means at its free end, a hook-closing tongue in said body, means whereby an outward movement of said body on said hook moves the tongue to open position, a spring normally holding the tongue closed and also serving to return the parts to normal after the tongue has been opened by a movement of said body.

3. A catch device comprising a body member, a hook having a shank extending through and adapted to slide in said body and provided with engaging means at its free end, a hook-closing tongue fulcrumed in said body, a spring normally engaging said tongue above said fulcrum, said body being slidable on said shank to position said fulcrum above the point of spring engagement to move said tongue to open position, and an oii set portion on the back or" the shank to assist the opening action or the tongue and the return of said body to normal under tension of said spring.

In testimony whereof I aihx my signature in presence of a witness.

Witness HowAnD E. BARLOW.

by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

Washin ton D. G. 

